Composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth



Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

its

co rosiTIoN or MATT R FOR FILLING 'N'o Drawing. Applicationfiled July 25,

To all whom it may concema L V Be it known that. I, PAUL 7. KRUGER, a. citizen-of the United States, residing in Attala County, inthe State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Imiprovem'ents in Compositions of Matter for Filling Root Canals in Teeth, of which the, following is aspecification. r v v My invention-relates tota germicidal coinposition of matter for filling ;rootcanals in teeth and is composed of finely divided metal coated with a fluid, or a liquid ge-I'inicide or semi-liquid or viscid combination of germicides in such proportions that when the composition is compressed by tamping or pressure, the resilience of the composition under pressure is reduced on account of the adhesiveness of the viscid germicidal c oating' so that cohesion of the metal particles more readily takes place assisted by the, adhesive germicide to form a firm compact filler as it is'tamped and compressediinto the tooth root, the interstices amongthe metal surfaces not brought into actual con-V tact through the compression, remaining confined and filled with the germicidal agent as a permanent, confined, bactericidal ingi'edient. Y I V I My invention is a new composition of matter for insertion into the root-canals of teeth to for V a bacterially impervious and dense root-canal filling of germicidally compacted metal, permanently germicidal and rigid in the root-canals, though removable withoutvery much difiiculty; a root-canal filler conveniently assuring the essential, impervious closure of the root-canal and thorough filling to theapex, upon which is dependent so much the prevention of subsequent, focal infection. 7

The object ofmy invention'is to provide a reliable filling material for root-canals as a permanent filler to fill into thecanals'without tedious technique and to avoid the use 01"? methods which accordingto dental authorities and general 7 experience of dentists have been found wanting -a filling material designed to. overcome the deficien cies of such methods as the use of. insoluble germicidal powderswith-intervening spaces, the use or" medicated pastes-or organic filling: material impregnated with germicides such as saturated cotton'a'nd top-rovide a mate" rial free from. the c-bjections'to cements and shrinkage of gutta perchapoints which in time occurs leaving crevices penetrable to of the human tion into the root-canals so that ROOT cAnALs IN TEETH.

1921. Serial No. 487,416;

bacteria' along the root-canalwalls on count of the gradual dissipation of the lubricating solvent employed in-filling with gutta percha. V I

' Any metal .or particularly one of mallea- "PAUL W. nausea, or ATTA AooU mY,iaississirri.

bility which'is adaptable in finely "divided form and suitable the root-canal, may be use'd for the-purpose {of my: invention, but silver is'the preferred metaL Silver is readily reduced to appro able metal adapted to adjustment of finely dividedparticles into intimate contact. It

metal in contact with tissues is permanently is an antiseptic body and tolerated so that it is adapted to root-canal filling to penetrate into the foramina and through the foramina of .a root without detriment when that may occur,

I prefer: to use in my invention pure pre,-" 7

ver produced in a form or precipitated silver or m'olecularsilver which more readily clutches together and which jmore easily coheres than a colloidal form which would be likely to be dissipated at the root tip. This silver may beo-bta-ined to the science of.

in the various ways known chemistry or a laminated or a comminuted silver, or a rolled leaf-form or other loose to; be .in contact withv human tissue or suitable .to becconfined in loose" appears in the word loose? 187 cipitated or reduced silver, a finely divided wet way asa coarse 7 not otherwise limited, i's meant' loose as embracing laminations ing layers of metal in metal leaf-form existing in the composition in a loose form.-.

The dry silver powder I coatwitha fluid, a germicidal fluid or solvent of germicides .in layers or overlywhich must not be oleaginous or alubricant or which must-be iestricted in as not to act as a lubricant. A fluid acting as a lubricantfdefeats the packing tendency andflcoherent action and clutching efi'ect ofthe silver particles under tampingi A- verylimited amount only of adherentcoatingis desiredonthe silver particles to assist the coherence while tam-ping ,With the liq'uid coating used to car the the composi-r the resilience particles may quantity so satisfactory cohesion of the particles of Sllver and would hold them apart or permit ready slipping upon each other and prevent packing readily into as solid a mass or into so compact amass as desired. The amount of coating comprising the germicidal ingredient of the composition should be of such limited quantity only as would less than fill the interstices of the silver powder under light pressure. Such an amount permits the silver to be compressed into intimacy of direct contact which is essential to compactness and rigidity, the intention being to form a mass ofsilver particles in actual intimate surface contact with 'no more fluid coatingniaterial intervening than may be forced into and fill the smaller interstices of the finely compressed mass and remain there confined. The limiting amount required maybe found by actual absorption-power of silver-powder to take up a liquid; or may be deducted from the relative specific gravities of silver'solid and silver powder; or may be found approximately by relative volume of interstitial spaces in a volume of spherical substances in contact. Experimentally for best workability and for compactness of the filling the amount of coating desirable is found to be considerably less than the limiting amount or total volume of the interstitial spaces in the silver powder.

-To uniformly coat the silver with this limited amount of germicidal material I dissolve the germicidal substances in a solvent which may be evaporated and leave the silver-powder particles coated with a thin film adherent. For the purpose I use ether as it is a solvent for the particular germicides I prefer to use. The silver powder is mixed with the solvent containing the liquid and the germicides. The solvent then being allowed toevaporate, a coating of uniform dis-. tribution is deposited adherent to the silver particles. pearance and form of a powder. Any suitable fluid or preferably any germicidal liq uid suitable touse in root-canals either by itself or thickened with solid insoluble ingredients or germicidal substances soluble in the liquid may be used as adapted to the purpose of forming a part of the filling material to assist the coherence of the silver into a firm root-canal filling and as a bacteri- 'The composition then has the apcidal ingredient. However. metallic silver is antiseptic, not in itself but through contact with tissues or may become a germicidal agent by prolonged contact with human tissues or products of decay'or proximity to bacteria. Silver becomes germicidal through the formation of its salts which are antiseptic and germicidal at the surface of the lsil ver in minute quantity. It is believed that metallic silver in the human body acquires its antiseptic action in one waythroughthe formation of a lactate. Silver is slightly soluble in alkaline chloridesiand as chloride saltsare a. constant-constituent of'the human tissue, the silver salt may form lorithis may be changed into soluble combinationswitlr ammonia or other salts present or resulting throughbacterial agency from which may beformed the particularly germicidal -OXlder 1 To prevent germicidal activity of silver by 3.3 introducing germicideswhich precipitate its soluble salts or which readily reduce silver in its salts to-the metallic form would prevent the germicidal efiiciency of the presence of silver. It is preferable to use such germicides as are not incompatible with the soluble silver salts and are more likely to avoid precipitation or to avoid reversion to the metallic silver 'sothat the antiseptic possibilities of the silver may not be disturbed.

The liquid 1 use is guaiacol methylglycolate, a compound of guaiacol which is devoid of its irritant quality and not incompatible with soluble silver compounds. In this I- dissolve a suitable proportion of insoluble 100 or nearly insoluble germicides such as hele-' nin of marked germicidal power even in its very minute solubility, and iodo-chloroxyquinoline, a particularly lasting germicide in its elementary constituent, both nearly taste- 1 less and v odorless compounds suitable for dental work and all three soluble in other so that the silver can be uniformly coated by means of the ether-solution on evaporation of the ether.

As the germicidal compounds as well as the liquid which I use are compounds insoluble or nearly insoluble in water and the fluid has been thickened by the solid germicides in its solution or incorporated with it, "the coating then contains a minimum of fluid material to be bound up with the solid germicides and finally retained within the interstices of the compacted silver the composition is tamped in a tooth root-canal. The composition of the silver powder so coated appears or feels like a dry powderand cann'otso easily be handled or inserted into the tooth root as if it were in the'formj of a'paste. For easeof working I make the composition in paste form or suspension by incorporating just sufficient water with it. This is not detrimental to cohesion and packing of the composition but is found to be an assistance. f I

The germicides are such as are. considered insoluble substances as ordinarily understood but, to be more exact, are only of very limited or slight solubility sufficient to give to the incorporated water a germicidal property. The small amount of water does not detrimentally afiect the adherence of the coating adherent to the silver particles. When the composition of matter in this paste form is brought under'pressure by tamping the silver is packed together and clutches together firmly into a compact mass as the water is squeezed out or comes to the surface while being compressed. By using fine, bevelled tampers or smooth broaches in filling the composition into the root-canals and alternating these with the use of blunt, fine canal pluggers as tampers the water is readily squeezed out to the surface and formation of water strata is avoided.

My composition as a filling in a root-canal makes a very compact filler not readily removable. 'It may be removed without great difliculty with double-tapered chisel-pointed wires or probes twirled to tear asunder thecoherent particles little by little. Being essentially a metallic filler of indestructible metal, it is a filler remaining durable as a compact and rigid filler of confined bactericidal claim as my invention:

1. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, containing metal, suitable for dental fillings, in loose form, and a germicide with which the metal remains in loose form.

2. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting of metal, suitable for dental fillings, in finely divided form coated with a germicidal substancewithout binding the particles into a mass.

3. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting of metal, suitable for dental fillings, in finely divided form, and a germicidal fluid with which the particles of metal remain in loose form.

4. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting ofmetal, suitable for dental fillings, in finely divided form coated with a germicidal fluid without binding the particles into a mass. 7

5. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting of metal, suitable for dental fillings, in finely divided loose form coated with a substance suitable for Without binding property and bactericidally not inert.

dental fillings, and mixed with water in which the particles remain in finely divided loose form.

. 6. A composition of matterfor filling-root consisting of metal suitable in finely divided loose canals in teeth, consisting-of metal, suitable for dental fillings, in coated with a liquid having incorporated with it a germicidal substance without bind ing the. particles into a mass. y A composition of matter-for filling root canals in teeth, consisting'oi metal, suitable for dental fillings, in finely divided form coated with a germicidalliquid having dissolved in it a the particles into a mass.

9. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, containing silver in finely divided form and a germicidal substance without binding the particles into a mass.

10. A composition of matter for filling finely divided form, guaiacol methylglycolate, iodo-chloroXy-quinoline and helenin.

11. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting of metal suitable for dental fillings, a germicide and water Without binding the ingredients into a 7 .mass.

12. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, consisting of metal, suitable for form mixed with water having a germicidal property by solution of a germicide in the water. r 13. A composition'of matter for filling root canals in teeth, containing silver in loose form and a germicide with which the silver remains in loose form. r

14. A composition of matter for filling root canals in teeth, containing silver, a germicide' and water in which the ingredients remain in loose form.

In testimony whereof I alfix in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL W/KRUGER. ,Witnesses:

JAoK SANDERSON,

'OSCAR BoYmT.

my signature finely. divided form solid germicidal substance 'I0OlS canals in'teeth, comprising silver in dental fillings, in finely divided lOO 

